This invention relates generally to power dividers and, more particularly, to a multi-stage power divider for microwave circuits.
There are many applications in which it is desirable to divide a signal into a plurality of signals. In antenna systems, for example, it is often desirable to supply a portion of an input signal to each of a plurality of individual antenna units. Signal division may also be used in electronic circuitry to drive plural solid-state amplifiers with the same signal, in cable transmission systems to divide an original signal among a number of output cables, and in numerous other applications.
Coupled line dividers are often used in microwave applications for supplying power from an input port to a pair of output ports. Coupled line dividers, however, are not fully satisfactory because they require precise line gaps and spacings to achieve the desired power division, and often require line widths and gap spacings that are either too wide or too narrow.
Various other devices for accomplishing power division are known in the art, as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,148,098; 2,244,756; 3,091,743; 3,516,025; 3,904,990; and 4,556,856.
Such power dividers are not capable of providing a wide range of power division and a sufficiently broad bandwidth and isolation of their output ports for many microwave applications. In addition, such dividers are also costly to manufacture for microwave applications.